


The words unspoken

by Soroka



Category: One Piece
Genre: Complete, Friendship, Gen, Protectiveness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2017-12-16 13:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soroka/pseuds/Soroka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since their meeting at the Baratie, Luffy has always had a soft spot for Sanji. He seems pretty oblivious to his feelings himself until the events of Drum Island almost happen all over again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Luffy has a huge lump in his throat.

The wind feels like ice against his skin and he's starting to lose sensibility in his arms but he's not letting go. The storm is howling around the Going Merry like some unholy beast and he can hear the voices of his crew screaming something in the background but their words do not reach him. The rain pellets slam into his face harder and harder and every now and then, a huge wave envelops him whole and threatens to drag him into the furious water below. The whips of the storm are unforgiving on him but he doesn't seem to be aware of them at all. Right now, only two things have his full attention, the solid wood of the front of the Going Merry that he is holding onto for dear life and his death grip on Sanji's hand somewhere in the water.

The last five minutes keep replaying in his head like a broken record. His life line snapping, Nami's scream, his desperate attempts to grab something, anything but his hands grasping only empty air. He remembers sliding along the deck land then falling into the freezing water. For a few seconds, his head reels, the waves thrash him around like a toy. He cannot breathe, cannot think. He's sinking like a stone, very aware of a crushing pain in his chest.

And then, strong hands wrap around his waist and even stronger legs kick the water propelling them both back to the light. Blond hair flashes before his eyes when his head breaks the surface and sweet oxygen fills his lungs once again. Despite his exhaustion, his lips part in a wide smile, as he recognizes the cook. Sanji, his own personal lifeguard, the one who always dives into the water to save him no matter what. As he feels himself being pulled upwards to the Going Merry's deck, he can see his pale face in the water, urging Nami and Zoro to hurry.

Completely unaware of a humongous wave about to engulf him and drag him underwater once again.

Luffy doesn't think, he reacts. His right hand shoots out and grabs Sanji's arm, trying to snatch him from the water's grasp but discovers to his horror that he cannot even pull him closer to the ship. The realization makes his stomach churn. As he remains rooted to the Going Merry's front, his eyes fixed on Sanji, he feels true terror for the first time in his life.

He can feel he cook's fingers digging into his arm, trying to fight against the strength of the current pulling them apart but the ocean is stronger than both of them. He can see his blonde head bobbing among the waves, so helpless and alone in the middle of the raging sea and every time it disappears under the water he can feel his heart stopping. He tries to scream the cook's name but his voice breaks and fails him. As Sanji's grasp on his hand seems to weaken, he cannot help but experience a sickening dejà vu.

Drum Island… snow all around them… Sanji saving his and Nami's lives… and that sinking, horrifying feeling of the blonde's hand slipping from his grasp leaving him holding an empty mitten.

He would be damned before he let that happen again.

"SANJI!"

His voice finally finds its way back to his throat and as the name escapes his lips he can feel his fear turning into anger. His blood boils at the memories of Sanji diving into the water after him, Sanji flying backwards as the avalanche at Drum Island swallowed him whole, all the times the blonde cook has risked his life to save him without a second thought, without considering the consequences of his actions. And now, when he needs him the most, Luffy is incapable of doing the same. He's right there, right before his eyes, struggling against the waves, gasping for air and Luffy is not strong enough to save him. Tears of helpless rage sting his eyes as he feels Sanji's hand slipping from his grasp, the fabric of his shirt starting to tear under his fingers. He wants him back… he wants to hear his voice again… he wants to see him grin as he wolfs down his breakfast…

He wants a second chance to tell him how much he means to him.

His arm creaks under the pressure. He sees a long red streak running down his elbow and dripping into the white foam below but he does not feel the pain. Sanji's hand is about to lose its grip on him as he lets out a scream that echoes in the storm like a battle cry and pulls back with all his might.

He can hear something crack and snap and he feels his right shoulder going numb. He knows he just wrecked his arm in several different and creative ways but he cannot bring himself to look at the damage done. His eyes are fixed on his right hand as it shoots out of the water like a long pink slingshot carrying Sanji with it. As the cook's body slams into him and they both fall back upon the deck, the relief is so great he almost feels dizzy. He feels the hands of the crew grabbing them both, pinning them down to prevent them from being swept into the sea again as Robin's arms work against the clock to secure their life lines to the mast again. Sanji's body feels like a rag doll in his arms as he clutches him to his chest incapable of letting go. And when he suddenly stiffens and starts coughing up water, Luffy grabs him by his slender shoulders, his dark eyes prying into the cook's blue ones.

"Sanji, you idiot! Why did you do that?"

The cook looks at him confused. His lips are tinged with blue and he's shivering as Luffy pulls him closer and wraps his arms around him protectively.

"What do you mean, dumbass? You can't swim, remember?!"

"You could have died!"

"So could you! I was the closest when your rope snapped, I saw my chance and I took it! Would you rather have me let you drown next time?"

Luffy's breath is caught in this throat. For a second, he cannot answer Sanji but when he does; his words are a strangled whisper.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Sanji's defiant attitude is gone in a second as he notices the shift in his captain's demeanour. "What do you mean you're sorry? It's not your fault that you can't sw…"

"I'm sorry I almost killed you." Luffy finds his voice again and buries his head into Sanji's shirt almost crushing him in his embrace. "I'm supposed to protect you and I almost let you drown! You have saved me so many times and I almost let you…"

Understanding dawns on Sanji as he slowly pulls away from Luffy's grasp and looks into his face. His eyes are red with tears and his arms are still wrapped around him like a safety net, like he's trying to shelter him from the storm still howling around them. He manages to free one hand and rest it on the rubber boy's head ruffling his soaked black hair.

"We're all supposed to protect each other, dumbass, that's what nakama do. That was me taking care of you and this…" he looks down at Luffy's arms around him, "This is you taking care of me. I think you did pretty well considering the circumstances"

"But… but you almost died…" Luffy shakes his head in disbelief as he keeps staring at him almost trying to convince himself that Sanji's still here in front of him. "What about All Blue, Sanji? What about your dream? You can't find it if you're dead!"

So that's what this is all about… Sanji sighs. He can feel the struggle against the water taking his toll on him and as the adrenaline in his body wears off, he's starting to feel lightheaded. For a second he feels tempted to just let go and succumb to the darkness looming over him but he gathers the last of his strength and with his free hand smacks the rubber boy upside the head.

"Idiot! You're supposed to become Pirate King! You can't do that if you're dead either! Are you saying my dream is more important than yours?"

"Yes! I mean… no… I mean…"Luffy's stammering catches Sanji completely by surprise. "I mean… I do want to become Pirate King but not if it means losing my nakama. Not if it means…"

Sanji smiles. He can almost see the cogs spinning in Luffy's head as he's searching for the right words. Something tells him that they could be here for the next two years and he still would not have found them. He decides to help him out a little.

"Are you asking me never to risk my life for you again?"

For a second Luffy freezes and the cogs in his brain stop whirring. As he looks back at Sanji, his eyes shine with determination once again.

"I'm asking you to be by my side when I become Pirate King."

Sanji can feel his eyes widen. The words replay in his head for a second, their exact meaning still escaping him. Despite being as simple as a baked potato, Luffy could be really enigmatic when he wanted to be. He tries reading more information from his face but there is nothing there except Luffy flashing his biggest and brightest grin at him as usual.

He chooses to nod back instead.

"Promise me."

"I promise…" Sanji can feel his whole body getting heavy. Luffy's smiling face swims before his eyes and he can feel his hand sliding from the raven haired boy's hair. He can still hear him calling his name but suddenly another voice interrupts him and he can feel himself and Luffy being dragged along the deck.

"Nami says we can manage on our own." Usopp sounds nervous and probably a bit relieved to get away from the whips of the storm at least for a while. "Chopper has been screaming bloody murder since you managed to pull Sanji out of the water. You both look like you could use him right now."

The captain's response is lost in the wind and the rain. Sanji tries to open his eyes and at least reassure their prone to overreaction reindeer doctor but Luffy's arms around him start to feel strangely comfortable. As the sharpshooter keeps babbling on to keep his fear under control, he feels Luffy's fingers curling around the back of his shirt, like a kid clutching a really big plush toy and, with a smile, finally allows the darkness to claim him.

And he dreams of All Blue.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, now here's a blast from the past, I haven't thought about this story in forever. I always intended this to be a one shot but one day the conclusion just popped into my head and I had to write it to make it go away. Hopefully, it is worth it for the three people that followed this fic way back in the day.**

* * *

It's almost midnight and Luffy is still awake.

He's sitting cross-legged on the floor, wrapped in a blanket so big it hangs from his body like an oversized coat. There's a giant mug of hot chocolate in front of him or at least what used to be hot chocolate before it congealed into a clumpy brown mess. It has stood forgotten for quite some time and the sight worries Chopper to no end. Luffy does not ignore food, not even when said food has seen better days and could probably benefit from some heating up.

He slides the mug away with an intentionally loud clatter. "Luffy? Are you all right?"

His reply is a stifled yawn that makes Chopper want to drag him to his hammock by force. His captain is clearly falling asleep on the spot but his stubborn body refuses to succumb. His dark eyes remain fixed on the unconscious cook, lying on a large futon in the middle of the room and buried under every blanket they could find. He's sat in the same spot for the last three hours, after Usopp dragged them both through the door, stammering incoherently about monster storms and damn fragile lifelines. At first, Luffy seemed his usual cheery self, even as he shivered away under his share of blankets but as time passed and the cook's blue eyes remained closed, his carefree grin began to falter. Eventually, he was reduced to a numb, silent statue, sitting in front of the futon, staring at Sanji's still face with an unreadable expression.

Chopper knows exactly how he feels; he also knows how destructive those feelings can be. For a second he really considers dealing with this matter his way and sedating the hell out of him but quickly decides against it. There's probably nothing in this world capable of moving Luffy from this spot, not even Doctorine's special mixture for unruly patients.

Instead, he moves closer, pretending to fiddle with the bandages on Luffy's injured arm. "You really should get some rest. There's going to be a lot of repairs to do in the morning. That storm has absolutely trashed the deck."

Luffy just yawns again, not even flinching at the doctor's intentionally less than careful prodding. "Nah, I wanna stay here. I'm not tired at all."

The slurred words do absolutely nothing to convince Chopper. "Are you sure? There's nothing you can do here, you know?"

Luffy takes a small sip from the cold sludge in the mug and nods mechanically. "I know I just feel like staying."

He sounds tired but determined and Chopper can spot a losing battle when he sees one. In a way, he can't blame him for worrying. He is beginning to worry about the blond cook himself but he knows better than to let Luffy notice. In fact, his job would be so much easier without the captain's head hovering over his shoulder, following his every move. The last thing he needs right now is another person in the room making him more nervous than he already is.

With a heavy sigh, he stops his pointless charade and turns around to focus on his other patient. In the last hour his breathing has somewhat evened out and his pulse, though still faint, is slowly growing stronger. Miraculously, there are no broken bones, no water in his lungs and no internal bleeding. Nevertheless, Chopper knows he will not be able to breathe easy until Sanji wakes up and talks to him. He might be stable but in the dim yellow light that bathes the room, he still looks like death warmed over.

He shifts around some heat packs spread strategically over the slender frame, just to give his shaking hands something to do. He is painfully aware that he has done everything he could for him. The only thing left is to wait for the heated room and warm blankets to work their magic but the knowledge only makes him feel useless. A famous West Blue doctor whose column he followed religiously back at Drum Island strongly advised his younger colleagues to not get too involved with their patients to help maintain a clearer perspective. His words might as well sound like gibberish to Chopper now since there's not much choice for him in that regard. He loves each and every person on the Going Merry and seeing one of them hurt weighs heavily on him. In his humble opinion, it makes him a better doctor, even if right now he wishes his heart would stop sinking every time he glances at the cook's deathly pale face.

The lopsided mirror on the wall reflects Luffy clumsily throwing the blanket off. Slowly, as if moving through water, the captain stretches out his uninjured arm and takes hold of Sanji's blue-tinged fingertips.

"He's still so cold…"

The quiet impotence in his voice cuts Chopper to the bone. He remembers nearly having to pry the rubber fingers open to release Sanji's lifeless form from their grasp. The cook's arm still bears long red marks of Luffy's iron grip. Watching the captain's somber expression, Chopper feels a sting of pity for him. He has wrecked his arm to pull Sanji out of the Grand Line's clutches and now, it seems like the ocean might claim him after all.

"Give him time, he'll get warmer soon" He readjusts the blankets around the cook's shoulders, forcing out an optimistic smile. "Hypothermia can be nasty but we've got blankets and heat packs, not to mention enough coal to turn this place into an oven. There's nothing to worry about."

He hopes to God Luffy believes him and finally decides to go to bed but the captain just nods absentmindedly and gently squeezes Sanji's limp hand. The cook's fingertips are a bit pinker when he lets go and Chopper allows himself a small sigh of relief. Things are looking up after all.

"He was just as cold back then too."

Chopper looks at him in mild confusion. For moment, he doesn't understand what Luffy's talking about until the faraway look in the black eyes clues him in. "You mean back at Drum Island? When you got hit by that avalanche?"

Luffy doesn't reply right away. He moves closer to the futon and rests his palm on Sanji's forehead, smoothing out the long blond bangs.

"His hair was all frozen, just like tiny icicles." He pauses, blinking slowly as his voice drops to a mutter. "It was strange because Nami was warm as a furnace on my back and he was so, so cold…"

Chopper feels a shiver down his spine as Luffy trails off. When the captain speaks again, his voice sounds slightly cracked.

"I told him not to pull reckless crap like that again without warning me. He's going to get himself killed one day. Then what are we supposed to do?"

The utter helplessness in his voice is so sincere, Chopper almost groans in frustration. He feels like smacking Luffy upside the head and yelling that he's the least indicated to speak about recklessness on this ship but he stops himself. Luffy has legitimate reasons to worry about Sanji now just like Chopper had legitimate reasons to worry about them and Nami when their paths first crossed. He remembers seriously fearing for their lives until he saw them rise from their cots and chase him around the castle like bloodthirsty monsters. The memory is nothing if not reassuring.

"He'll be all right, I promise." He turns back to Luffy and takes him by the shoulders peering into the clouded black eyes. "You've seen him survive a giant avalanche and this is just a small-time storm; I'm sure he'll be up and about tomorrow morning, like nothing happened."

He's not sure whether he's trying to reassure the captain or himself but his words seem to perk Luffy up a little. He lets out a yawn only a rubber mouth can take and nods enthusiastically.

"Yeah, you're right! It's just last time I slept through most of it so it was a lot easier."

"Which is exactly why you should go to bed now!" Chopper slides a palm over his face as captain shakes his head stubbornly and sways where he sits. "Please, Luffy just stop torturing yourself! You're not doing Sanji any favors by sitting here like a zombie. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do! I just…

Chopper gives him a questioning look and frowns. For a while, Luffy just sits in silence as if trying to gather the right words but when he opens his mouth, it's clear that all the time in the world will not be enough.

"I just… can't leave okay? know this sounds weird but I'm afraid that something will go wrong if I'm not here." Luffy turns to the reindeer doctor with a pleading expression. "I'm not getting in the way, right? I just want to keep an eye on him."

There's a familiar fire ablaze in Luffy's eyes that Chopper has seen a million times. Drum Island has given him plenty of experience with stubborn relatives, friends and loved ones, each more grueling than the last. He can predict every step in the scenario about to unfold and he is aware that the knowledge won't help him one bit.

He throws Luffy a dejected warning glare. "You'll fall asleep eventually."

Luffy shakes his head so hard his hat almost flies off. "I won't."

"You will and then you're going to feel like crap all day and it's going to be worse." Choper rolls his eyes and slides the coal heater closer. "Look, this is getting ridiculous. You don't need to be here all night; all you need to do is make sure that your thoughts remain here."

The captain's eyes narrow at his words as his brow furrows under the wide straw hat. "My thoughts?"

Chopper nods. "Yes, exactly! Do you understand anything of what I'm saying?"

He looks up at Luffy, waiting for a reply that doesn't come. The captain remains quiet, leaning against the wall like a meditating monk, his face blank. Chopper isn't entirely sure what to make of that until suddenly, he yawns, stretches his arms and slowly stands up.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you, then."

Chopper's jaw hits the floor as he stares at Luffy sleepily dragging his feet towards the futon. His exhausted brain is working at the limit of its capacity, trying to figure out what the hell he has just done right. It clashes to a stop when he sees Luffy remove his straw hat and carefully place it on Sanji's head. For a second, Chopper can swear he sees the curly eyebrows twitch into a frown when the rubber boy takes his hand away.

"Don't take this off, okay? Not until he wakes up."

The words are spoken softly but carry all the strength of an order. Chopper manages to collect himself in time and nods back vehemently. "I won't, I promise."

For the first time in hours Luffy's grin shines as brightly as ever. The dark eyes give Sanji one last look before they glaze over and his whole body becomes a shambling mess. The rubber fingers fiddle with the doorknob for a couple of seconds before they manage to open the door and swing it open into the dark corridor leading to the men's cabin.

"Goodnight guys…"

The door creaks shut behind him and Chopper slides down to the floor in relief. He doesn't entirely understand how Luffy's mind works and he doubts that he ever will but his sudden optimism is strangely contagious. Somehow, he feels that the storm has passed and everything will be all right from now on. And when the blue eyes finally open an hour later, Chopper feels like he could laugh and cry at the same time. There's a part of him that wants to shake the cook until his head starts spinning and scream in his face never to do anything like that again but the words are stuck in his suddenly tight throat. It's not like Sanji would listen to him anyway.

Instead, he readjusts the straw hat on the matted blond hair and whispers, "Welcome back."

* * *

**Tis the season of fluff people! And when it comes to fluff, Luffy and Sanji are my favorites. Have yourselves a merry Christmas and don't forget to review.**


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